Friendships formed
by IhateMarySue'sSoooooMuch
Summary: Set prior to Return of the Roar. These are the stories about how the various members of the Lion Guard first met. From baby Bunga's introduction to a new born Kion to Beshte and Ono's intense first meeting.
1. Bouncing Baby Boys

"A boy!?"

"That is correct Kiara." Replied Rafiki with a good natured smile.

From the mandrills left Simba and Nala shared a smile.

"Can you check again?"

"You've asked me that three times." Replied the monkey dryly.

"Yeah but still…"

"This is unacceptable!" Declared Zuri pompously.

"Now who are we going to groom and talk about boys with." Pouted Tiifu.

"Um, how about each other?" Suggested Kiara.

Tiifu's face light up as she gasped in delight "That's brilliant Kiara! How come I didn't think of that?"

"Because you're a few buffalo short of a herd." Smirked Zuri.

Tiifu's face scrunched up as she tried to process that "Are you saying I'm fat?"

"No but now you've suggested it."

"Girls. Play nice." Nala commented sternly. Cradled between her paws a small golden bundle blinked and looked at them all through uncomprehending eyes.

"There's the lad!"

Everyone turned to face the entrance of Priderock as Timon and Pumbaa made their way in. The meerkat sat on the swines back as usual with a small gray bundle cradled in his forelimbs.

"We've been so lookin forward to this day!" Commented Timon.

"Especially now that we've made yet a new addition to the family!" Commented Pumbaa excitedly.

"Guys what's that?" Asked Simba suspiciously.

As the warthog leaned forward so Timon could dismount from his snout. The meerkat began to talk.

"Why the newest addition to our little circle of friends. Say high to Bunga!"

The meerkat lifted the waking baby badger up Rafiki style so everyone could see. The small furry cub blinked lazily as he surveyed the scene.

"Aww!" Gushed Kiara, Tiifu and Nala.

"It looks like a rat." Blurted out Zuri.

The lionesses and Simba shot glares at the young female.

"Gee, thanks!" Replied Pumbaa genuinely.

"Uh…your welcome?"

Timon placed the creature down on the ground where he began to sniff at his new surroundings.

"Where did you guys get him." Asked Simba concerned.

Timon shrugged "Beats me. Somewhere in the savannah."

"And you just took him?"

"Yep!" Pumbaa replied cheerily.

"What about his family?"

"Oh…uh we don't think he has a family."

"You don't think?" Asked the lion incredulously "Do you know?"

"Hey! Lay off!" Snapped Timon "The kid was all alone. If he did have parents they sure aren't fit to raise him."

"He was starved for attention!" Emphasised Pumbaa "We don't think he'd been around another animal for days! And there just so many baddies out there!"

"Still you should've at least asked around before scooping up random kids from the savannah." Simba scolded.

"If we'd done that to you ya wouldn't even be alive right now." Pointed out Timon.

"Meow!"

"Zukzuka Zamo! Bungabungabunga!"

Everyone turned to see Nala smiling down at the duo of baby animals a few feet away.

Kion and Bunga were both leaning against a leg looking at each other curiously.

Simba was suddenly nervous "Your sure he's not rabid or anything? That could be a reason for abandonment."

The comedic duo took a look at eachother before shrugging "Pretty sure." Both replied.

Kion started to mewl while the badger curled up in to a ball and began to roll much to the formers amusement. A smile light up Kion's face as his mewling increased.

"This should make things pretty interesting." Commented Nala.

"A honey badger and a lion. Haha! Who would have guessed?" Asked Rafiki joyously.

 **The chapters as follows should be**

 **2 – Beshte and Ono**

 **3 – all four boys**

 **4 – Fuli (my favourite until Jasiri hopefully joins the guard)**

 **5 – bonus chapter the hyenas**


	2. Symbiotic Relationship

"I dare you toooo…touch that rock!"

"Ok!"

A young hippo calf made its way out of the water and strode over to a rock several feet away which it touched with its foot. Seconds later the calf scrambled back to the water.

"Ok your turn Hatari! I dare you to…" The calfs ears wiggled in frustration "Touch that tree."

"Your on." Hatari hippo made his way out of the water and towards an acacia up the bank.

It was a game of dares for young hippo calves. Each of the young animals making its way up the bank to touch something for several seconds. The winner was whoever stood on shore the longest.

After spending just over a minute on land Hatari made his way back to the familiarity of the water "Top that!"

"Poa!" Commented a bull calf "That was great Hatari!"

"Thanks Beshte now it's your turn! Hmmm…how bout…that stump."

"Gosh it…looks really far." Beshte gulped.

"It's only the length of a few hippos." Dismissed Hatari "Don't be such a guppy."

"I'll show you a guppy!" Beshte snorted.

Making his way on to dry land (something he rarely did unless supervised) the hippo strode confidently to the stump and smirked. It was at least twenty feet from shore.

"Who's a guppy now?"

HahahaHAhaHA!

"Huh? What's that?"

Beshte turned to face the plains. Unsatisfied with his view he raised one foot to move forwards…the hesitated.

"Beshte what are you doing?"

"Where are you going?"

"Come back!"

"Heeeelllp!"

That settled it. A look of determination set on his face the hippo began to move towards the noise. The long yellow grass concealed most of his body.

XXX

It wasn't a pretty sight. Beshte cringed. A small white bird, an egret, was being circled by hyenas on the ground. Although egrets in general where small birds this ones petite stature had it pegged as a fledgling. And if there's one thing hyenas enjoyed hunting it was children.

A scrawny red nosed one and a bulky one circled giggling and slobbering incoherently. A third stood smugly surveying the scene and giggling.

"Not much of a meal I'd say." The hyena turned to look at a dozen white birds perched in a nearby tree "Anyone wanna swap themselves for the little morsel?...Hm? No? Maybe…alright then. Let's eat!"

The male approached the small egret and Beshte felt a cold hard lump form in his stomach. He'd heard the stories of course about how hyenas destroyed the entire kingdom. They were an animal he usually only saw from afar given their different habitats but the laughs. They carried over quite a distance. Those creepy cruel sounds of sadistic glee. He'd always been thankful to have been born a hippo.

"Wait but Janja!" Exclaimed red nose hyena "How are we gonna split the birdie? Hehe!"

"He's right." Added bulky hyena in a stupid tone "It don't got much meat on the bones!"

"Which is exactly why you shouldn't eat me!" Pleaded the bird "It'll be just a tease! You'll feel even hungrier afterwards!"

"Quiet bird brain! No ones askin you!" Snapped Janja, he turned back to his cronies "Ok, I'll get the breast, Cheezi gets the wings and Chungu gets everything above the neck."

"Aw man." Whined bulky hyena "I always get stuck with the bill!"

"Ugh! Fine!" Janja snapped "We'll split the bill."

Cheezi for some reason found this immensely funny and began to laugh.

"Huhuhe! Now can we eat?!" Asked Cheezi.

"Sure thing boys!" As Janja leaned in for the kill…

"Twende kiboko!"

He turned just in time to get a face full of hippo. The male hyena yelped as he was thrown several feet in the air. Out of shock and concern the other two darted after him.

"Little bird! Hop on!"

The egret scrambled up Beshte's lowered snout and on to his head where he clutched the hippos hair for a foothold.

"I'm Besthe by the way!" The hippo said hurriedly.

"I'm Ono!" Screamed the egret "And I can't fly!"

"Figures." muttered Beshte.

"After em fur brains their getting away!"

"Uh oh." Muttered Beshte.

"Hapana!" Cried the egret.

"The waters just up ahead!" Reassured the hippo "Just…a little further…"

HA!

"Ah!" Beshte skidded to a halt as all three hyenas jumped in front of him blocking his way to the water.

"Nowhere to run and nowhere to swim either little hippo." Janja's malicious grin spread from ear to ear.

For a few seconds Besthe stared terrified but then he smirked. "Oh I don't think it'll be me who does the running."

"Huh?" All three hyenas tilted their heads to the side simultaneously.

Suddenly a wave of water hit them as a full grown hippopotamus burst out of the water exposing its canines and bellowing threateningly.

Screaming in fear, all traces of courage and bravado disappeared and the hyenas went from smug predators to crying cowards in seconds. The trio ran off, tails tucked beneath their legs in an awkward gait and the fur drenched and dripping.

Grinning Beshte turned to face his father "Thanks dad!" only to be met with a stern scowl.

"…I'm grounded aren't I?"

"You bet your fat behind mister!"

"Sorry sir!" Squeaked Ono "But please don't be too mad at him! He saved my life from the hyenas!"

"Son is this true?"

"I know hyenas are dangerous and that's exactly why I shouldn't have the water but I've heard all the horror stories about hyenas and I couldn't just stand by and watch Ono become another fatality."

The older bull sighed "Well I suppose it would be wrong to reprimand you for that…its just…I could've lost you son."

"I'm sorry dad." Replied Beshte earnestly.

"There he is! The hero hippo!" Cried a female voice.

The trio looked up to see a flock of egrets circling the bank of the waterhole. The squawking birds began to perch on the ground, rocks and trees with the exception of one pair who landed on Beshte's back.

"Ono!" Cried the female embracing the fledgling in her wings.

"Son!" The larger male joined in the group hug.

"Your son is a hero!" Cried the mother to Beshte's father.

"He saved our boys life!" Cried the male egret.

"Happy to help!" Beshte replied cheerily.

Meanwhile Ono pulled himself from his mothers embrace. He hopped up and flapped his wings. Once. Then twice. Then he jumped off the hippos back and flapped frantically to stay airborne.

"I'm doing it! Huff! I'm doing it!"

Ono took a deep breath before falling straight to the ground "Or…not."

The onlookers chuckled good naturedly.

"It's okay little guy." Said Beshte "Until you learn I'll watch out for you as you practice."

"Really?" Replied Ono in awe.

"Sure!" Replied the hippo with a trademarked ear wiggle "What are friends for?"

 **I'm proud of this chapter. It feels like an episode. Constructive criticism is appreciated though and autocorrect is being a jerk so let me know if a random word with no context appears in the story.**


	3. Boys Club

"Hevi cabesa, take me now great kings of the past." Groaned a lion cub.

"Oh em goodness Zuri! Your claws look amazing!"

"Thanks Tiifu yours do too! Though not nearly as good as mine." Replied the narcissistic cub as she examined her shiny claws.

"How do you get them like that." Asked Kiara impressed.

Kion began to tune out as the girls rambled on about the mundane activities of their lives. They were at the waterhole. Kion's parents had insisted that he go off with the girls much to both royal siblings annoyance. Well more like dad insisted, mom wasn't that pushy. He knew dad was concerned he didn't hang around that many other Cubs but Kion couldn't help it! They just couldn't click. Dad didn't like his only friend being a honey badger which was strange considering he'd spent most of his childhood and all of his teens with a warthog and a meerkat.

"Zuka zama!"

Speak of the devil a young honey badger suddenly swung towards them on a vine. After exclaiming his trademarked catchphrase the ratel* released his grip on the vine and plummeted in to the water. The girls shrieked and ran as a wave of water hit them with Zuri even starting to cry obnoxiously.

Kion who was also splashed just sat in the same spot and laughed good naturedly.

Seconds later Bunga surfaced from the water and laughed seeing the irate expressions on the girls faces several feet away.

"I'm telling!" Huffed Kiara before turning and marching in the opposite direction.

"Come on Zuri." Tiifu nudged the wailing cub with her head.

Zuri got to her feet and continued to wail "This is the worst thing to happen anybody ever! Waaaaah!"

The boys rolled their eyes as Bunga swam to shore.

"What's their problem?" Asked Bunga "It's only a little water!"

"Girls!" Kion rolled his eyes.

What neither noticed however was a pair of yellow eyes on a green head watching them from the reeds. The shape submerged and became invisible heading straight for the splashing honey badger.

The malicious reptile swam closer and closer but then…

"Hapana! Crocodile watch out!"

Kion and Bunga looked up to see a frantic white bird hovering in the air.

"Get out of their Bunga!" Cried Kion.

With a mighty leap the insectivore leapt out of the water just as the croc shot out and it's powerful jaws clamped shut on empty air.

Bunga curled up on to a ball and rolled several feet on to land "Ha!" He cried as he jumped to his feet "Too slow crocodiley! Nanananana!"

The reptile let out a hiss of annoyance before slowly submerging once more.

"Are you guys ok?" Asked the bird swooping down and hovering in place.

"Thanks to you." Replied Kion graciously.

"I could've handled it." Dismissed Bunga confidently.

"Crocodiles." Muttered the egret as he landed shooting a distrustful glance at the water "They eat unlucky fledglings that fall in the water! Ugh!" He shuddered "Put me off flying for the longest time."

"I'm sure they don't mean anything by it. It's the circle of life." Kion replied sagely.

"It's what they do." Summed up Bunga.

Suddenly Ono gasped "I didn't even recognise…I've seen you from afar! You're prince Kion!" The egret turned towards Bunga "And your…"

Bunga grinned from ear to ear.

"Some type of civet?" The egret said uncertainly.

Bunga's face fell "I'm a honey badger!" He replied indignantly "And I'm adopted by Timon and Pumbaa! Y'know, Simba's adoptive uncles?"

"Wow." Gasped the egret in awe.

"What's your name little guy?" Asked Kion.

"I Ono am!" Came out the rushed reply from the starstruck bird "I mean no-wait!" He cleared his throat "My names Ono! I'm an egret! Recently fledged! My flock lives around here."

"Well then nice to meet you Ono." Kion replied earnestly.

The lion cub held out a paw which Ono shook with a claw.

"Wow…Beshte's never gonna believe this."

"Who?" Asked Bunga.

"My friend. He's a hippo."

Bunga's face light up "A hippo? That's perfect! I've always wanted to meet a hippo! You know their more dangerous than lions and crocs combined?"

"No. Well at least Beshte's pretty nice. I'll take you to meet him if you want."

"Zuka zama that would be amazing!"

XXX

Beshte say half submerged in the water casually chewing some grass. He swallowed it in content "Ah."

"Beshte! Guess how I've just saved!" Cried Ono swooping in.

"Who?"

"A friend of the royal family!"

"Poa! No way!"

"Yes way! Come on out guys!"

Kion and Bunga made their way to the waters edge.

"So your Beshte huh?" Asked Kion "Your friend here just saved us from a hungry crocodile. Not to mention told us how you rescued him."

"Poa! Your prince Kion!" He turned to Bunga "And your…a mongoose of some kind?"

"What? No!...well pretty close. I'm a honey badger! Bunga's the name! Dares and stunts are my game!"

"Nice to meet you both! What brings you to the waterhole?"

"My parents forced me to come here." Moaned Kion "They don't think I have enough friends."

"We could be your friends." Suggested Ono hopefully.

"Totally!" Agreed Beshte.

"Well your already much more interesting than my sister and her friends." joked Kion.

"You mean…?" Asked Besthe eagerly.

"I'll gladly be your friend." Replied Kion.

"Me too!" Exclaimed Bunga "What should we play first? Baobab ball? Play fighting? Bowling for buzzards?"

"How about hide and seek?" Suggested Ono.

"Great idea!" Exclaimed Bunga "I'll start counting!"

The ratel covered his eyes and turned around "One. Two. Three."

With smiles on their faces the others ran off. Kion darted in to the long grass.

"Four. Five. Six."

Ono flew in to a hole in a tree only a foot above the ground.

"Seven. Eight. Nine."

Beshte trundled to a cluster of boulders before plopping himself down behind them to disguise himself as one.

"Ten! Ready or not here I come Zuka Zama!"

*Ratel is another name for the honey badger.


End file.
